CenturyLink Utah

QWEST FOUNDATION DISPLAYS SPIRIT OF SERVICE THROUGH DONATIONS, VOLUNTEERISM IN 2007

$520,000 Donated to Utah Organizations; Employees and CenturyLink Pioneers Donated More Than 90,400 Hours

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 21, 2008 – CenturyLink and the CenturyLink Foundation are excited to enter a new year of giving, and pleased to highlight philanthropic work that took place throughout the state of Utah in 2007. Last year, CenturyLink, CenturyLink employees and the CenturyLink Foundation donated approximately $520,000 to various causes throughout the state -- while employees and retirees volunteered more than 97,100 hours with a value of nearly $1.8 million. That brings the total number of donations and volunteer hours to $2.3 million.

“The CenturyLink Spirit of Service is something CenturyLink employees carry with them throughout the entire year,” said Jerry Fenn, CenturyLink president of Utah. “It is an honor to be associated with people who give so generously of their time and resources to better the communities we live in.”

CenturyLink Foundation donations and volunteer hours include the following:

CenturyLink Foundation grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Utah totaled more than $230,000 in 2007. Grant recipients included: American Red Cross – Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter; American West Heritage Foundation, Wellsville; Davis Education Foundation, Farmington; Disability Law Center, Salt Lake City; Intermountain Therapy Animals, Salt Lake City; Junior Achievement of Utah, Salt Lake City; Utah State University College of engineering, Logan; and more.

Thanks to a $50,000 CenturyLink Foundation grant for the CenturyLink Teachers and Technology program, the Utah State Office of Education provided financial resources to teachers interested in developing creative ways to use technology in the classroom. The grant program recognizes Utah K-12 teachers who are already creative technology integrators, and want to take the power of digital learning technologies to the next level.

During the 2007 United Way campaign, CenturyLink Utah employees donated more than $131,500, with a 53 percent participation rate from employees. CenturyLink matched employee contributions 75 cents to the dollar, adding another $94,000.

The CenturyLink Pioneers are part of the Telecom Pioneers, the largest, industry-related volunteer organization in the world. As a group of employees and retirees, CenturyLink Pioneers donate their time and talents to community projects. In 2007, CenturyLink Utah Pioneers volunteered more than 90,400 hours to 59 projects.

The Matching Time grants are another way CenturyLink employees give back to their communities. Employees who volunteer 60 hours of time over a six-month period receive a check for $500 for the nonprofit on behalf of the volunteer and the CenturyLink Foundation. With the Foundation’s focus on education, it will donate $1,000 to the nonprofit agency on behalf of employees who volunteer their time with programs that directly advance classroom success. In Utah, the CenturyLink Foundation made 67 Matching Time grants to 39 different organizations in 2007, donating a total of $43,500.

“With a rich history of donating to the community, CenturyLink is looking forward to continuing our philanthropic work in 2008 and beyond,” said Fenn. “We’re proud to be in Utah and promise to continue our mission of serving our communities with the CenturyLink Spirit of Service.”